John w



UNITED STATES Arent Brion.

JOHN WfORMSBY, OF MILWAKEE, WISCONSIN.

TENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,726, dated February 1.3, 1894.

Application filed .Tune 9, 1893. Serial No. l4:71090. (No model.)v

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN W. ORMSB Y, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county ot' Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tents; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates to new and useful improvernents in the construction of tents, and consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention; Figure 1.-is a perspective view of a tent constructed in accordance with my invention, and showing parts of the canvas cover removed in order to betten illustrate `the arrangement of the framev pieces. Fig. 2.-is a horizontal detail sectional view taken on line 2-'2 of FigJl. Fig.-'3.- is a View partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4-is a broken plan view of one corner ofthe rectangular base frame. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the corner braces at thejunctionsof the corner posts with the rectangular frame which supportsthe roof. Fig. 6- is a detail side elevation,illustrating the means for locking the corner braces in position. Fig. 7-is a detail side elevation illustrating the arrangement of the buttons for holding the canvas wall or covering in position upon the outside of the frame.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A A designate vertically disposed corner posts, which are arranged to engage at their lower ends with a suitablev rectangular base frame, and arranged at their upper ends to engage with the corners of a rectangular frame, which supports the roof, as will be presently described in detail. t

The rectangular frame which constitutes thebase of the structure, comprises suitable bars B B which are detachably jointed together in any desired or convenient manner at their ends, and provided with suitable means for engagement with the lower ends ofv the corner posts AA. In the particular form of construction shown in the drawings, the joints at the corners of` the rectangular base frame are formed by means of suitable metallic plates b b, which are secured to the upper and lower surfaces of the ends of certain ones of the horizontal bars, and are arranged to embrace the ends of the other horizontal bars, in the manner shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. The plates b b -are provided with vapertures b b arranged to register with corresponding apertures, in the ends of the bars B B which are embraced thereby, and the lower ends of the vertically disposed corner posts, A A, are provided with sockets a a arranged to also register with the apertures in said plates, so that when the members B B of the base frame are engaged together as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, vertical pins a" a may be passed upwardly through the apertures in the plates b b, and the ends of the bars B B4 engaged between said plates, and into the sockets a a., in the lower ends of the vertical posts A A. If desired, these pins a 0.', may be madeot' sufficient length to project considerably below the rectangular frame, so as to enter the ground and thereby assist in holding the frame of the` tent in a desired position upon the ground.

A rectangular frame is provided for supporting the roof, and said frame comprises suitable horizontally disposed bars C C jointed together at their ends in any desired or convenient manner, and arrangedv to engage with the upper ends of the corner posts A A,

and conveniently held in engagement therewith by means of suitable oblique brace rods C C', which engage at their upper ends with suitable socket plates c c upon the under sides of the bars C C, and similarly engaged with socket plates c c upon the sides of the vertical posts A A.

The roof frame comprises a suitable ridge pole or bar D and suitable obliquely arranged bars D D extending from the four corners of the structure, and suitably jointed at their upper ends to the ends of the ridge Y pole.

If desired, one or more intermediate'vertical posts E E may be arranged to extend between the rectangular frame which formsthe base of the structure, and therectangular IOO frame which supports the roof. These posts E E being disposed at suitable intervals along the sides of the tent structure to afford the desired degree of strength thereto. At one side of the tent, two of these intermediate posts are preferably arranged at suitable distances apart to serve as door posts.

The oblique brace rods C C' are provided at their upper and lower ends with angular projections C2 C2 in the manner shown, and in attaching said brace rods to hold the frame pieces A A and CC together, the upper ends of said braces are first hooked through the apertures in the plates c c, which apertures are made of just suiiicient size to tit around said brace rods. Said brace rods are then moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, and their lower angular extremities introduced through vertical slots d d, in the plates c' c', upon the sides of the vertical posts A A, and into suitable recesses in said posts, immediately in rear of said plates. Within each of these recesses in the posts A A and just in rear of the slot cl in the plate c is provided a slotted tumbler d', of generally circular form, through the slot in one side of which the lower end of the angular brace rod, is permitted to pass when said slot is in a vertical position so as to register with the slot d. After the brace rod C has been adjusted into position, the tumbler CZ may be rotated by l means of a suitable key or tool, inserted in the slot, and moved into the position shown more particularly in Fig. 6, the slot in the tumbler being thus moved out ot line, with the slot in the plate, and the uncut margin of the tumbler brought to bear against the under side of the angular part of the brace rod. In this manner the vertical posts A A at the corners of the structure may be very readily secured to the base of the root' frame, and will be securely held in position so long as the tumblers remain in the position indicated in Fig. 6.

In securing the intermediate posts E E in position said posts are placed upon the upper sides of the horizontal base frame pieces BB in such a manner as to cause angular downwardly extending pins or hooks e e upon the lower ends of said posts, to extend through slots e e in plates EE which are secured to said frame pieces B B. These slots e e are arranged in such a manner that the pins or hooks e e may be inserted therethrough into suitable sockets or recesses in the upper faces of the bars B B, and said posts then partially r rotated so as to move the hook ends of said which is secured upon the outside of the frame of the tent. These buttons F F are arranged to each engage with a suitable plate f upon the outside of the post in such a mauner as to be readily removed therefrom, and in practiceI find it convenient to employ substantially the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 7 of the drawings,in which said plates are provided with horizontally ar ranged slots or openings ff', through which flattened heads F F', upon said buttons may be inserted said heads extending into suitable sockets in the faces of said posts behind the platesff, when the buttons maybe turned into a vertical position as shown more particularly in Fig. l. NVhen the buttons have thus been engaged with the posts the canvas coveringI which is provided at suitable intervals with horizontally disposed buttonholes may be engaged upon the outside ot thetent frame by first slipping the button-holes over the buttons F F and then turning said but-tons into positions at right angles to said buttou-holes in an obvious manner.

In order that the frame pieces may be folded into compact form for transportation, the frame pieces may be provided at suitable points with hinges G G as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, so that when the frame is taken to pieces, the bars composing the same may be folded together so as to occupy but comparatively little space.

The door ot the tent maybe formed from a separate piece of canvas secured to suitable buttons either upon the inside or the outside ot` the posts E E at the sides of the doorway.

My improved tent may be very quickly and easily put together and taken apart, and it desired may be transported from place t0 place bodily, and moreover possesses the advantage of great strength when put together.

If desired, in the construction of large sized tents, a suitable transverse bar or rod I-I may be arranged to extend between the side pieces, C C of the rectangular frame which supports the roof, and suitable diagonalbrace rods 7L h, may be engaged at their lower ends with said transverse bar, and secured at their upper ends to the ridge pole Din the manner shown in Fig. l.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States, is-

1. A tent frame comprising a suitable rect angular base frame, vertical corner posts, adapted for detachable engagement with the corners of said base frame, and a roof frame comprising a suitable rectangular frame adapted for detachable engagement with the upper ends of said corner posts, a ridge pole, and suitable oblique bars extending from the corners of the said rectangular frame and engaged with opposite ends of the ridge pole, substantially as described.

2. A tent frame comprising a suitable rectangular base frame, vertical corner posts adapted for detachable engagement with the l'oo corners of said base frame,'a suitable roof frame adapted for detachable engagement of .the upper ends of said corner posts, and suitable oblique brace rods adapted to be detachably engaged with saidl posts and said roof frame to retain the same in engagement, substantially as described.

3. In a tent frame the combination with a suitable base frame, vertical corner posts, and a roof supporting frame adapted for detachable engagement with the upper ends of said posts, of oblique brace rods provided at their upper and lower ends with angular projections, suitable socket plates, upon the lower faces of the bars of the roof frame, and lthe sides of the vertical'posts, adapted for engagement with `the angular projections on said brace rods, and suitable means for lockposts provided at their upper and lower ends with angular projections adapted for engage- 3o ment with said slots whereby said posts may be detachably engaged with the upper and lower parts of the frame intermediate of said corner posts, by a partial rotation thereof, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a tent frame, of a suitable rectangular base frame, a roof supporting frame, vertically disposed corner posts arranged to extend between, and detachably engaged with the corners of said frames, and 4o suitable intermediate vertical posts, also adapted for detachable engagement with said frames, suitable socket plates secured to the outer faces of the members of the frame, and provided with elongated slots, and buttons 45 provided with shanks having fiattened heads adapted for detachable engagelnent with said slots by a partial rotation of the buttons, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifica- 5o tion in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. ORMSBY. 

